Semiconductor device manufacturers are constantly striving to increase the performance of their products, while decreasing their cost of manufacture. A cost intensive area in the manufacture of semiconductor devices is packaging the semiconductor chips. As those skilled in the art are aware, integrated circuits are fabricated on wafers, which are then singulated to produce semiconductor chips. As the semiconductor chips are getting thinner and thinner, there is a growing need to be able to handle thin semiconductor wafers or thin semiconductor chips. Subsequently, these thin semiconductor chips may be mounted on electrically conductive carriers, such as lead frames. These thin semiconductor chips may also be used in an artificial wafer. Packaging methods providing high yield at low expenses are desirable.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.